Fire and the Dragon

A/N: Just a couple of things first. 1.) Hermione has been through a lot with Harry and Ron with the war, she is a strong woman and therefore will heal more quickly than the normal person. 2.)Severus is her security blanket, in a sense. She feels like herself with him. 3.)Severus love scenes are soooo hard to write because JKR didn\'t give us any and we don\'t have much to go on..so kudos to all authors who can do it well! Thanks for the reviews and for merely reading! Now...I am going to keep the baby as Ron\'s. I have read too many stories involving DNA swapping in the uterus. Now for a quick break from Severus because Hermione can\'t buy him a gift while he is with her, right?















Ch. 13 Hogsmeade Surprises



Hermione worked quietly with Severus over the following week, a small smile gracing her lips. It had been nice waking up beside him. True, when she first awoke, it scared the crap out of her to have someone so close to her, but then she remembered she had asked him to stay and settled down.



December was nearly here and the wind was beginning to carry a crispness to it. Hermione was still puking her guts out at least twice a day, but the idea of having a child was beginning to settle in. Mostly, she was just in denial. She didn’t feel like she was pregnant, nor did she look it yet.



On the last Saturday of the November, Harry came bursting through Hermione’s door, an excited, determined look in his eyes. Severus and Hermione, who had been playing a game of muggle chess, both leapt out of their seats, wands at the ready.



“Mr. Potter,” Severus sneered. “You have the manners of a wild boar.” Harry glared at the man for a moment before turning his attention to his friend, who was currently staring at him with bewilderment.



“Hermione, get your cloak and trainers on, I’m taking you to Hogsmeade today for Christmas shopping.” Hermione’s eyes twinkled with excitement for a moment before turning to the ground. “I don’t know, Harry, I am not sure that is such a good idea. It is not even December, yet.”



“OHHH, come on. I know you like to plan, and will be in a frenzy if you wait much longer.” She looked ready to protest again. “Pleeeeeeeaase, Hermione, I need you to help me find something for Ginny!” He looked to Snape for some miraculous assistance.



“Ms. Granger, while I do not share Mr. Potter’s…enthusiasm….I agree that you should accompany him to the village.” Severus, while he despised Potter, felt it would be good for Hermione to get away for awhile with out him beside her.



She began to bite her bottom lip, still not really wanting to go. Harry rolled his eyes and grabbed her hand, pausing only long enough for her to put on shoes and grab her cloak, hat, gloves, and bag. Severus watched the door close behind the two before disappearing into his own room to get ready to begin his rounds.



The wind was quite chilly as they made their way down the long path. In the village, Hermione was finding she quite enjoyed being out again. After helping Harry decide on a gold bangle with diamonds and rubies for Ginny, Hermione began thinking about what she needed to get while she was here.



Harry followed her to the bookstore, Honeydukes, and a couple of other shops where Harry was instructed to wait outside. When she came out of the wizards’ sports shop, they began to walk to the Three Broomsticks for something warm to drink before heading back to the castle.



They passed Weasley Wizard Wheezes as they walked through town, Harry suggested they go inside to say ‘hi’ to Fred or George, whichever one was working there on that day.



Hermione vigorously shook her head at the thought. “Harry, I’m sorry, you can go on in. I am just not sure I want to see any of his brothers yet.” Harry nodded in understanding and said they could just keep going.



“So tell me, Hermione,” he said casually as he turned his head to look at her. “What is going on between you and the dungeon bat?” Hermione nearly dropped her packages and turned a violent shade of purple.



“We are friends, Harry, and he is not a dungeon bat.” She scolded. Harry looked at her appraisingly. “Hmmm, you are not shagging him, are you?” Oh, that bat would die if he so much as touched her while she was still so vulnerable.



He received a swift swat in the arm for that comment. “Harry please. I am not ready for that kind of intimate connection with ANYONE right now, I don’t know if I will ever be.” She whispered, embarrassed by the topic of conversation.



“After what Ronald did, I doubt I will ever be able to be with someone without being afraid.” She added, barely audible. Harry watched his friend with sadness. She was still not recovered from the ordeal. He had heard it can take months or even years to stop being fearful.



Hermione is strong, though, he told himself. She has survived so much in her life, as he had; she was going to come through just fine. However, he realized, she would never be the same person she used to be.



He was roughly snatched from his thinking when he heard Hermione drop her bags and grab his arm for dear life. He followed her gaze and groaned. Walking towards them were, Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, Bill, and Charlie.



“Take me back, Harry. I want to go back now.” She was visibly shaking, on the verge of tears. He helped her with her bags and tried to lead her away before the sea of red hair spotted them…too late.



“Ah, Harry, Hermione dear.” The voice of Mrs. Weasley was friendly and motherly as always. It was the sight of Charlie, who so resembled his younger brother, that sent Hermione to near hyperventilating. Harry could feel her nails digging into his skin and fought the urge to flinch.



“Hello, Mrs. Weasley.” Harry hugged her. “I hate to run but Hermione is due back at the castle and I promised to escort her back.” He was trying for a quick getaway as he gently nudged Hermione back up the path that lead out of town.



Mrs. Weasley was faster as she and the rest of the family trotted up to them. “Hermione dear, how are you feeling?” The matriarch asked the girl. “I am as well as can be, thank you.”



Mrs. Weasley nodded distractedly. “I still can’t believe what Ronnie did, I will never be able to apologize to you enough.” Hermione stiffened at the mention of Ron, she spoke as calm as she could. “You have nothing to apologize for, Ron was the one who was in the wrong, not his family.” She gave a curt nod and tried to escape again with Harry, back to the safety of Hogwarts.



“Is it true that you’ve decided to keep the baby?” she practically squealed at the young girl. Many people in the village looked up the path at the scene. Harry snapped his head to Hermione, she would have some explaining to do later.



“Molly! This is hardly the place.” Mr. Weasley said forcefully to his wife while his sons tried to look anywhere but at Hermione’s angry face. Hermione took a long, slow, deep breath and shrugged away Harry’s comforting hand.



“Yes, Mrs. Weasley, I will be raising this baby. HOWEVER,” she said, as Mrs. Weasley began to interrupt. “This child will be a Granger, not a Weasley. Until it is ready to understand the truth of their creation, they will not know who Ron Weasley is or that he even exists!.” Mrs. Weasley’s eyes filled with tears.



“I am sorry, you will be family to this child only in the way you are family to me, until the right time.” With that, she turned on her heel and began to walk away. A firm hand on her shoulder stopped her, she looked up, Harry was a few feet in front of her, both hands in his pockets.



She whipped around to see the tall form of Charlie, a little too close for her liking. “Hermione, I wish I could take back what my idiot baby brother did, if you need anything, we will be happy to help.” She swatted his hand away, and stumbled backwards, nearly falling on the ground. She had started to cry at this point.



“Don’t touch me, Ron.” She screamed as she ran away from the group at top speed. Harry looked reproachfully at Charlie as he began to stutter. “I’m sorry; I didn’t mean to upset her.” Bill smacked the back of his brother’s head. “You know how much you and Ron look alike, you should have known better than to approach her.” He shook his head in irritation.



Harry decided to bid them all a farewell and run to catch up with Hermione, leaving a sad Charlie Weasley being yelled at by his mother and brother. When he finally caught up to her, she was leaning against a tree, her bags scattered, her hands propped on her legs, shoulders shaking with obvious sobs.



“I’m sorry, Harry. I’m such a mess.” Harry just put his hand on her shoulder and allowed her to calm down. “Come on, lets get you back inside.” They collected her bags and finished the walk to Hogwarts.



Back in her rooms, they placed the purchases beside her bed. Hermione looked up at Harry, her eyes still puffy from crying. “I did have a good time, Harry, thank you.” Harry smiled, “Yeah, up until you nearly pounced on the Weasley clan.” His mouth began to twitch upwards before both of them were chuckling.